At 33, Sam O'Connor left Whangarei to become a country counter. Here's how he did it. Photo / Supplied
At 33, Sam O'Connor left Whangarei to become a country counter. Here's how he did it. Photo / Supplied
A young Northlander has cashed in his chips for an adventure of a lifetime, planning to tick off every country on earth.
Sam O'Connor, 33, from Whangarei is one year and a few dozen destinations into a lifetime goal of visiting 197 countries.
Having spent the pandemic locked down in New South Wales, at the first sign of a return to normality he made it his goal to take his passport on a world tour.
It's a journey he estimates will take around eight years to complete.
Visiting all United Nation member states, plus Palestine and the Vatican City is a tall order. Especially, considering he will have only been to 19 by the end of the year.
However, O'Connor says he is in no rush. For him, it's more than a box-ticking exercise.
"Since I have travelled all this way I should take in as many activities as possible, rather than sitting in my hotel room all day doing nothing to save on money."
Thus far, he has gone hot air ballooning in Turkey, elephant trekking in Thailand and had the run of empty beach resorts, as one of the first travellers to return to some countries post-pandemic.
"Nothing makes me cringe more when I hear somewhere say they travelled NZ yet all they did was stay in central Auckland a few days before flying out."
This laid back approach to travel has allowed O'Connor to make lasting links with the countries and meet new people - including his hero, Richard Branson.
19 down 178 to go: Sam O'Connor plans to visit every country on earth. Photo / Supplied
"Being a business entrepreneur myself," O'Connor says that he got pretty excited to meet Sir Richard.
He says it is a trip that has allowed him to meet thousands of people a month, from billionaires to beach bums, to local tribes in Indonesia.
"They are living a better and happier lifestyle than some of my lawyer and accountant friends working 80+ hour work weeks back in NZ," he says.
Why is 2022 the best year for international travel?
Apart from spending a few years in Sydney he says he wouldn't describe himself as well-travelled. The inspiration for his global trip came out of the blue.
Spending the pandemic working online and watching travel YouTubers, he was inspired to see as much of the world as he could for himself.
"I thought there must be more to life than just waiting for the weekends to seek adventure and fun." He decided to become a 'country counter'.
19 down 178 to go: Sam O'Connor says many countries are yet to recover from the pandemic downturn. Photo / Supplied
You might wonder how the 33-year-old can afford to drop everything and spend a decade on the road. O'Connor says he has been able to park his property investments and online businesses in New Zealand and work remotely, without having to return.
"I'm also lucky to earn money through real estate investment and online which means I can live anywhere." He plans to use his income from properties and online retail to fund his travel.
Without any children or commitments back in New Zealand, he felt like now was the time to see the world.
All the countries: Where is top of the list?
Beginning in South East Asia and Europe he has made the most of ticking off many countries close together. As a music festival fan, it has also allowed him to party in Bali and the Balearics.
While determined to visit all 197, he says there are some countries not so high on the bucket list. He is planning to ease into the more dangerous and difficult destinations in sub-Saharan Africa, where it is "recommended you employ bodyguards."
"I'm super pumped about the adventures and cultures each will offer," he says, but that's for further down the line.
"I'll certainly be leaving these till last."
More pressingly O'Connor says there are huge benefits to travelling now and plenty of countries that are keen to let tourists know they're open again.
"South East Asia was definitely a lot quieter in terms of tourists," he said.
"Biking through Vietnam there was a point where I didn't see a single western tourist for seven days straight." However, he has been able to make the most of low prices and travelling at local rates, budgeting $17 a night for beachfront hotels.
While some destinations aren't necessarily "travel ready" he says he has only had minor inconveniences from lingering pandemic travel restrictions.
"There's certainly some issues with airline prices however, by booking well in advance and with some flexibility, this shouldn't be a big problem."
Sam blogs his country count on instagram at @samoconnor.global
